First tunnel complete on Poland’s ‘first of its kind’ offshore wind project
10 October 2024
It has been announced that the Baltic Power offshore wind farm, developed by Polish oil refiner PKN Orlen and Canada’s Northland Power, has completed the first of four tunnels to connect the wind farm to the onshore substation.
Situated in the Baltic Sea, the Baltic Power wind farm is considered to be Poland’s most advanced offshore development (Photo: AdobeStock)
The 1.4-km tunnel will accommodate 30-cm-thick power transmission cables and was created using horizontal directional drilling (HDD), a technology being used on a large scale for the first time in Poland.
The onshore substation, located 8km away in Osieki Leborskie, is more than 40% complete and is scheduled to be handed over in the fourth quarter of 2025. Once operational, the substation will receive energy from the Baltic Power wind farm and integrate it into the National Power Grid.
Situated in the Baltic Sea, the Baltic Power wind farm is considered to be Poland’s most advanced offshore development and is one of the first sites in the world to install 15-MW wind turbines.
Upon completion in 2026, Baltic Power says that it will fulfil 3% of the country’s energy needs while reducing CO2 emissions by about 2.8 million tonnes per year.
Jarosław Broda, a member of the Baltic Power management board, said, “Progress on Baltic Power, the largest renewable energy project in our region, is on schedule and already well advanced. We have completed the first and are carrying out further drilling for submarine cables connecting offshore substations to land.
“This is the first project of its kind in Poland and is unique compared to other offshore wind projects carried out in Europe.”
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